Repair or replace electric stove?

Question

Stove is coil-style (my preference), very clean, sturdy Whirlpool w/ self-cleaning oven -- about 20 years old. Oven thermostat needs replacing, about $250 job. Have looked at new stoves, not many coil models w/ self-clean oven available, and most seem flimsier than my old one. Ordinarily I wouldn't repair an old appliance, but I'm thinking about it. Main questions: how likely is it that the top part will go bad, and how expensive would it be to repair? I mean the main electric stove-top component, not the coils, which are easy to replace. Would appreciate advice and experience, esp. from repair people.

Answer 1

A thermostat should be no more than 20.00 to 30.00..and ANY HANDYMAN can replace it in less than an hour...Someone is really trying to get too you...I have replaced no less than at least 40 to 50 in my.life...There is nothing to it on electrical one..here is a video on how to do so...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTFbYfeII...

Answer 2

Replace.

Answer 3

The stove tops don't go out as a unit. They are individual. Each burner control can be replaced individually and they do go bad eventually. (they are called infinite switches). The terminal blocks the coils plug in to need replacing eventually as well.  But both those are not all that difficult for the average person with some technical ability.  

The new ranges are flimsier. They do use thinner metal for the cabinets these days on all appliances. They try to get the strength from the design.

I would say fix it. It is usually the clocks or a rusted out oven that condemns them, costing most of the replacement cost to fix. But your clock has been running 24/7 for 20 years. Then again, most of the new ovens have gone to electronic clocks and they seem to fail more and earlier in my experience.

But the electronic ones tend to bake a little better and more accurately using electronic temp sensors (that also can fail have shorter lifespans than your tstat).

$250 is a fair price to replace an oven Tstat.  Twenty years is not all that old if the condition is otherwise good as in with rust or chips.

Good Luck.  

Answer 4

Buy the part and repair it yourself.  I think this site has an exploded view of the parts so you can see how it goes in.

Answer 5

Buy a new appliance. Stove parts are like car parts, way over priced. If another part breaks or fails you could have an expensive 20 year old stove on your hands.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...